5 Summer Lessons

I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer! This has been a wonderful summer for me. I have done so much and there’s still so much to do before the F-word rolls around in September.  I’ve completed two sprint-distance triathlons and am getting set to do an Olympic next week. I had a great trip to Vancouver for a music teachers’ conference followed by some visiting and sight-seeing. My personal trainer certification is almost finished.  I've attended some wonderful summer festival offerings like the local Fringe and Folklorama (a multicultural festival) and other summer shows. Family, friends, fun, laughter, food…

So what are the 5 lessons? Well, behind the scenes of all these accomplishments and activities is a lot more work to keep things moving along and it’s not all fun and games.

1. Studying can be fun! Yes, it can. Honestly! Especially if it’s something you’re interested in. Life-long learning is so beneficial for us all. As Leonardo da Vinci said, “Learning never exhausts the mind”. It can help hold off or prevent Alzheimer's and dementia.  In the recent field of neuroplasticity it is now known that we can continue to grow new neural pathways right until death, BUT it is the effort or struggle of learning something new that will achieve this. How are you keeping your mind engaged this summer.                                                             
   
2.  Summer colds are no fun! After my trip to Vancouver I fell victim to a nasty summer cold. I know exactly why I got the cold too, which made me feel worse about it because I could have prevented it.  A combination of being extremely active and not eating well enough to support that, plus a lack of sleep.  Though by most standards I was still eating better than the Standard American Diet, I probably didn’t eat enough calories for the activities I was doing, I ate more starchy carbs than usual and not enough greens – a bad recipe for health maintenance. Those veggies do make a difference!                                                                                          
3. Healthy eating can be done in the summer! On the flipside, with more diligent planning and care I was able to stay clean despite going to weddings, festivals, out with friends and traveling to triathlons. As long as you have a supply of healthy snacks with you or eat before attending an event you should be able to stave off the cravings for the multitude of tempting, but off limit foods. Be prepared!                                                                                                        
4.  Three weeks of no training is a long time. When you are training for a specific sport and you want to peak at a certain time, it’s important to maintain your training schedule.  Unfortunately, being away for 2 weeks and sick for one kept me from triathlon training. Already being in pretty good shape and still being active through my time away kept me from total failure, but there is a training principle of reversibility.  This principle suggests that once training stops your body will eventually return to it’s pre-training state. Just because you were a high school jock does not mean you will be able to do the same activities after being sedentary through your undergrad degree years – and it’s not that you’re getting older, it just the principle of reversibility. So, it’s important to keep moving.                                                                                       
5. Being out in nature is good for you! I loved doing the Grouse Grind in Vancouver hiking up the mountain through the woods with views of the ocean peaking through and wandering through the rainforest of Capilano Park. Triathlons are almost always set in natural surroundings, which make them more enjoyable to me than an urban-set half-marathon. It feels so peaceful, calming and like there is a greater connection to the universe or God if you will. There have been studies showing that nature has a unique restorative effect on the brain.  The Japanese know this and call it Shinrin-yoku - the natural therapy of forest bathing. The most soothings sounds to humans are birdsong, water and wind.  Additionally there has been some research done on what natural setting is better for introverts and extroverts.  Introverts are happier in wooded areas, whereas extroverts prefer more open areas like the beach. Summer is the perfect time to indulge in nature to de-stress and recharge.

So with what we have left of the summer continue to learn, eat well, keep exercising, and go to the lake!